


Teams

by GoldenKitteh



Category: Recess (Cartoon)
Genre: Arousal, Confusion, Crushes, Friendship, Insecurities, Jealousy, M/M, Middle School, Puberty, Sports teams, body issues, middle school problems, pre-teen boys, self-consciousness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28941882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenKitteh/pseuds/GoldenKitteh
Summary: Going through middle school's never easy; all kinds of weird thing start happening, both inside and out. It's an awkward time, but it's also a time for growth & bonding. Friendships taking those first shy footsteps into more...inspired by the Temper Trap's "Sweet Disposition"
Relationships: King Bob/T. J. Detweiler
Comments: 7
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this months ago & finally decided to just start posting it. Ch2 is complete, will be at least 3 chapters. Not sure yet.  
> Enjoy!

* * *

Bob runs down the field, passing the soccer ball back & forth between his feet as he weaves it around the orange cones.

A whistle blows, just as he’s almost back through the cones. He weaves the ball back through the final 2 before picking it up and running back down to join the rest of the team on the field.

“Good hustle out there, guys! Water up & head out!” their coach directs as they all crowd around the large orange water dispenser.

After he’d quenched his thirst, and wiped some of the sweat from his eyes, he makes his way over to the stands, where his friend awaits him.

“Wow, you really have gotten better!” TJ proclaims as he makes his way over to Bob.

“Well, I owe that to you! My skills wouldn’t have improved so much had it not been for our practicing together over the summer. Have you given any thought to my suggestion? I’ve already put in a good word with the coach for you.”

“I’m not so sure… sports aren’t really my thing.” TJ responds, feeling self-conscious looking at the other guys on the soccer team, all of whom are either thinner or more muscular than him.

“Aw come on, why not? You’d make a great addition to the team! Besides, it’d mean a lot to me!” Bob says, flashing TJ that oh-so-charming smile & making him feel new things more and more every time he’s graced with a glimpse of it.

“I’ll think about it.” TJ considers as his cheeks flush a light pink.

“Well, you’d better think fast: Tryouts are going to be coming up soon!” Bob says, lifting his shirt to wipe the remaining sweat from his face.

TJ’s blush deepens as he tries not to stare, forcing himself to look away from those toned, sun-kissed abs.

“It’s hot out here.” Bob remarks, completely oblivious of just how accurate his statement is.

“Ha ha, yeah. Why don’t we go somewhere cooler? I was thinking we could split a pizza, then go swimming!”

“Sounds great!” Bob responds, glad he’d brought a change of clothes for later.

The two make their way off the field, Bob offering to retrieve his gym bag from TJ, who insists he doesn’t mind carrying it, and remarks he could use to build some muscle.

* * *

About 15 minutes later, the 2 middle school aged boys and a young woman enter a pizzeria.

Bob, still in his soccer uniform, carries the pizza his sister had paid for to the table his friend had saved for them. His older sister, Sheila, follows closely behind him with the ice cold refreshments.

All 3 enjoy the meal and the air-conditioned environment.

Bob’s glad his sister had understood his situation and is willing to help. She’d had far more experience with things of this nature, and he’d no doubt need her wisdom. Time to get the ball rolling…

“I’ve noticed some things lately….”

he begins, sure to look at TJ while he speaks.

“Yeah, what’s up?” TJ replies innocently, looking up at his friend.

“Well, like today. You got dodgy when I brought up why you should join the soccer team. You watched us guys on the field like we’re the most amazing things ever. You looked away when I used my shirt to wipe myself off. I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on here…”

_‘Oh god, he knows! He hates me and he knows and he-‘_

“Look, TJ, you’re my friend. But you’re obviously insecure about your body. It’s okay, it happens to a lot of people when they hit middle school. Guys don’t talk about it as much, but trust me, it happens to a lot more people than you think.”

…well he’s half right.  
Thank goodness he doesn’t seem to have a clue about the other half.

“And I know it can seem intimidating. Trust me, I didn’t get to be this good at the sports I play, or in this good of shape, overnight. It’ll take a lot of work, but I promise, you’re good enough. You’re just as good as me or any of us on the team.” Bob assures

“Wow Bob… I… I’m glad you said something.” TJ admits.

Bob is a genuinely good friend, and if he’s being honest with himself, TJ has been pretty insecure since the summer’d begun drawing to a close. Sure, he’d had a nice growth spurt, but he also hadn’t shed as much of his baby-fat as he’d hoped.

“All those guys on the soccer team… none of them are chubby like me.”

“A couple of them started out pretty chubby.” Sheila chimes in, remembering a particularly stout blonde kid who’d grown into his body over the last couple of years her little brother had been on the team.

“Yeah, and you remember me a couple years back.” Bob reminds, trying not to cringe at the memory.

Gone was that funny-looking unibrowed kid with the awkward walk he’d been when he’d begun 7th grade. Now in his place is a stronger, more confident guy who’d grown into his body pretty nicely over the past 2 years.

“Okay, that’s not a fair comparison. You’ve always been in great shape!”

“True, but back then, I was a lot less muscle than I am now. It doesn’t come easy.”

“What Bob is trying to say is that you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. Change doesn’t come easy, and like it or not, your body’s going to change. Some of the changes you’ll like, others you may not like so much. In any case, being on a team of your peers who are going through largely the same thing you are could be good for you.”

“Yeah, and besides, we’re only going to be in middle school together for one year, and sports take up a lot of my time. I’d love to see you more often!” Bob adds, hopeful to be able to spend more time with one of his favorite friends.

“Stop pushing him, Bob!”

TJ laughs “Thanks, both of you. I really appreciate it.”

Bob smiles, and Sheila puts a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light sisterly squeeze.

* * *

Later the 2 young men chat as they set down their things, and walk down to the lake.

“Hey, what’s up with the looks Sheila was giving me earlier when we were talking?” TJ asks

“She had a couple of friends with an eating disorder a while back. One of them wound-up in the hospital, and when she finally opened up about it, she’d said she’d started feeling insecure about her body around middle school.”

“Oh. I’m really sorry, I had no idea.”

“Yeah. She’s thinking about majoring in psychology, or something in the social sciences. She wants to work with pre-teens and young adults to help support young people, and prevent serious things like that from getting out of hand.”

“That’s really kind of her.”

“Yeah. Puberty has a way of smacking you in the face. HARD.”

“You’re tellin’ me…” TJ comments as they approach the lake.

Of course, Bob would have to choose that moment to set his things down & whip his soccer jersey off.

TJ follows his lead, doing the same as he pushes the feelings down. The two jump into the water with reckless abandon, savoring one of their last moments of summer.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

The school year had begun, and with it, a new phase of life for TJ and his peers. His friends had taken his decision to try out for the soccer team pretty well. Then again, he shouldn’t have been surprised, as Gretchen had decided to join math club, Mikey’d joined choir, and Vince tried out for the soccer team, too.

Joining the soccer team hadn’t been so bad! TJ found he enjoyed the sport; he was starting to get into a little bit better shape thanks to practice, and it was a lot of fun! He frequently paired-off for partner exercises with either Bob or Vince, when they weren’t competing against each other. As a result, TJ’d found he’d gotten pretty good!

…

It was their 6th game of the season when it happened.

TJ’d been running down the field, fast enough to keep pace with the rest of his team. He’d been keeping an eye on the ball, hoping for the chance to score a goal. Fortunately, it looked like he was about to get that chance, as his teammate kicked the ball across the field, and over to him.

The brunette had just drew back his leg to kick the ball, when a large member of the other team made a kick to steal it back, and missed.

“Aah!” TJ screamed out in pain as he collapsed to the field.

Hearing that scream come from his favorite person on the team snapped Bob’s attention from the opposing player he’d been guarding & curdled his stomach in a way he’d never felt before. Cold sweats break out through him as he spots TJ across the field, lying on the ground.

Immediately running over, feeling all kinds of awful things at the sight of TJ curled in on himself on the ground, in pain, Bob’s on the ground at once checking on the younger male.

“We need some help!” he calls over to the referees, who’ve already blown their whistles.

TJ’s mom, too, makes her way down to tend to her injured baby boy.

Turning his attention to TJ, he asks

“How bad is it?”

Attempting to wiggle his foot, then immediately regretting it as pain shoots up his leg, the younger male breathes in sharply before he responds,

“Pretty Bad.”

“Don’t move” Bob insists as one of the referees makes his way over.

Looking up, Bob spots the offending player on the sidelines, and feels anger welling within him.

Protective of his younger teammate, he feels it’s his duty to go over there and knock some sense into the jerk.

Quickly running over, before anyone can stop him, Bob pushes the offending player, an audible “oof” escaping him as he’s knocked backwards & onto his butt.

“Why don’t you try guarding someone your own size next game, huh?!” He shouts, ready to rip the guy’s head off the second he gets back up. Sure, he’s probably got a decent 20lbs and a few inches of height on Bob, but he could take him.

Before he can do anything further, the other referee is interrupting him.

“Alright son, you got your shove in. Now go on back over with your team and we’ll call it even.”

“Tell his coach to make sure next time, he guards someone his own size!” Bob boisterously demands as he storms off.

He’s still angry at the fact this whole situation happened in the first place, but there’s really nothing else he can do that wouldn’t get him kicked off the team.

His anger’s once again replaced by intense feelings of hurt, sorrow, empathy, & a whole bunch more he can’t quite name when he sees their coach calling over a couple guys to help haul TJ off the field.

Bob books it over, making sure to slow down before he reaches his wounded friend, not wanting to add to his pain.

If anyone’s going to be hauling an injured Detweiler off the field, one of those guys is going to be him, damnit!

Ultimately, he makes it there just in time to insist he and Vince be the ones to support TJ.

_“They’ve been friends forever, he’ll be careful with him.”_ Bob thinks as he and the star-player kneel down, looping one of the brunette’s arms around each of their shoulders.

He’s grateful to see the thin straps of a sort of brace stabilizing his leg; they’ll have to be extra careful so as not to jostle him.

…

Bob’s the first one to visit once TJ’s home from the hospital.

“Hi Mrs. Detweiler, how’s TJ doing?” he asks, concern evident.

“Oh, hi Bob; thank you again for helping him off the field, dear. He’s still a little down, but I’m sure seeing a friend will make him feel better! Why don’t you come on in?”

Bob nods his head as he enters the home.

His mother calls up to him

“TJ honey, you’ve got a friend coming upstairs to see you!” to give him a heads-up, and make sure he’s awake.

“Okay.” he calls back half-heartedly.

Making his way up the stairs, Bob certainly hopes she’s right.

“Hey Detweiler, mind if I come in?” he says, knocking and slightly opening his door.

“Not a bit, it’s nice of you to come see me!” he says, perking up at seeing Bob’s face.

“I brought you these” the taller male informs, before approaching TJ where he sits in his bed, then handing over the stack of comic books.

“There are Tom Sawyer comic books?!” he asks, bewildered in the best way.

“You didn’t know that?” Bob asks, amused.

The brunette just shakes his head in response.

“Well, consider them a gift of apology.”

He quirks an eyebrow at this.

“If I hadn’t pushed you to join the stupid soccer team, none of this would’ve happened! I feel awful and I’m really sor-“

“Bob, stop. You didn’t make me join the soccer team, just encouraged me. I did it of my own free will. Besides, I really liked it! Well, up until our last game, anyway. But I still want to be a part of the team, I really do! Heck, I still think I might even try out again next year!”

The older male smiles, glad to see TJ’s spirit’s uninjured.

“Well, you obviously can’t join in, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come sit on the sidelines at practice and the games.”

“You think coach will let me?”

“Sure! Especially if you show-up in uniform. It shows dedication, he’ll respect that.”  
 _“…and it shows off how adorable you are.”_ He keeps to himself.

“Thanks, Bob. It means a lot to me. …But I’m keeping the comics!” the freckled boy teases.

Bob smiles, responding

“All yours!”

TJ returns the smile, before asking

“Wanna be the first to sign my cast?” he inquires in a hopeful tone, pulling back the sheets and a pajama pant leg to reveal a bright-green cast covering his shin and ankle.

“Sure” Bob says, grabbing one of the sharpies TJ points to over on the desk.

Once he’s made his way back over, he asks

“If I’m careful, can I sit next to you? I want to sign it upside-down so you can actually read it while you have to wear it.”

TJ simply pats the bed & smiles in response; the barest hint of a faint blush crossing his freckled cheeks.

Bob’s extra slow and mindful of his bodily movements, so as not to cause any further distress. Gingerly, he sits down beside his injured teammate on the bed. As he notices his heart flutter, he tells himself it’s just the nervousness he’ll hurt his friend; and NOT how nice it feels to have TJ next to him like this. 

In slow, careful letters, he writes

**Feel better soon, monkey boy! -Bob :)**

The older boy’s strokes are tender & delicate as he makes his mark on the cast.

He can’t take back what’d happened, but he can bring his favorite person a little bit of cheer whenever he looks down.


End file.
